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Game Of Thrones, 07x07, The Dragon And The Wolf

This is it! The seventh season of Game Of Thrones is in its final episode. And we will be waiting for two years before we get to see the start of the final season. Oh, what will we do?

"The Dragon and the Wolf" is the longest episode in the series’ history. It actually felt more like a television movie or a summer blockbuster than a season finale. In fact it is way better than most of that, if you look at the special effects, costume design, cinematography and performance of the actors combined.

Also they were able to slow down the pacing. There were more character moments, and political machinations compared to the previous episodes of this season. In that way it harkens back to what made the series so intriguing in the first place. Now most of the pieces in this intricate chess game are meeting in one place.

At King’s Landing, Daenerys has brought her full force to the capital, the Unsullied and the Dothraki are amassed near the walls. While her representatives, Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, Theon, Ser Jorah, Jon Snow and Ser Davos sail into Blackwater Bay with the wight they captured beyond the wall, hidden in a box guarded by Ser Sandor Clegane.

It is interesting to see the contrasts with the two forces, while Daenerys’ army is obviously larger on land, Euron’s Ironborn Fleet is particularly dominant at sea.

At the Red Keep, Cersei wonders why Daenerys did not sail in with her representatives. Nevertheless she goes to meet them but not before ordering Ser Gregor Clegane to slaughter her enemies if anything goes wrong starting with the Dragon Queen.

The delegation disembarks and walk towards the meeting at the Dragonpit, the place where the Targaryens used to keep their dragons. Bronn comes to meet them, together with Pod and Brienne who had already arrived earlier from the North. Tyrion greets his former squire, and also has a warm moment with his friend Bronn. Sandor and Brienne also reunite and bond over their mutual affection for Arya.

At the Dragonpit, on a raised platform three tents are set up for each faction. Daenerys’ representatives occupy one, Jon’s another, while Cersei’s occupies the center.

Bronn pulls Pod aside and invites him to leave and have a drink. Pod looks at Brienne and she gives her assent and the two exit the Dragonpit, while the others wait anxiously for Cersei’s arrival.

The Queen soon arrives with Jaime, Euron and Qyburn, and she takes her seat. Ser Sandor spots his brother Ser Gregor and faces him to make a few threats, he then exits the Dragonpit as well.

Cersei then asks where Daenerys is. Tyrion assures Cersei that she will arrive soon.

They wait for a few moments and the sound of dragons flapping overhead is heard. Daenerys, riding Drogon, lands, steps down and takes her seat.

It is a move meant to intimidate obviously, but Cersei seems unfazed. Euron though steals the show as he tries to intimidate Theon, telling him that he will kill Yara. He also insults Tyrion who has spoken first. But Euron is admonished by Cersei who orders him to sit or leave.

Tyrion tries to make his case, and Jon joins him speaking about the impending threat beyond the wall. Cersei doubts this thinking it is only a ploy, but the Hound returns carrying the box containing the wight.

He opens the box but the creature will not move so he kicks the box, and the wight lunges for Cersei, but it is held back by a chain.

Sandor cuts it to a few pieces and Qyburn examines one of its dismembered hands. Jon goes to him and takes the still moving limb and demonstrates that he could destroy it by burning which he does. And also shows that the undead can be killed with dragonglass and he stabs the creature with it, who dies.

Daenerys then says that she didn’t believe it at first until she saw the army herself. "How many?” Jaime asks, she replies “A hundred thousand at least”.

Euron then stands up and asks if they could swim. “No,” Jon answers, at that point the pirate says he will take his fleet back to the Iron islands, because he has travelled the world and has seen many frightening things that did not faze him, but the wight frightened him.

Euron leaves and Cersei lets him, then turns to Daenerys and says she will accept the truce. But with one condition, the King in the North will remain in the North and will not take sides against the Lannister forces.

Daenerys asks why this was not asked of her. Cersei bluntly states that she does not trust the Dragon Queen but she will trust the son of Ned Stark who she knows was honourable to the end.

Jon though reveals that he could not give his word, since he has already pledged his allegiance to Daenerys. Cersei then stands up and says that there is nothing more to discuss. She then goes to leave, Jaime follows, but Brienne accosts him and she asks that she try to change Cersei’s mind.

Seeing no other way, Tyrion decides to speak with Cersei on his own. The imp goes to the Red Keep and he has a few words with Jaime who is outside the Queen’s chambers. Tyrion then goes in and he and his sister have a tense conversation. She knows that he did not kill Joffrey, she knows that he loved both Myrcella and Tommen but she says that it is not important because his action of killing their father, left their family vulnerable.

Ser Gregor stands beside him, and he dares Cersei to order him to be killed if she is so angry. But she chooses not to, and Tyrion in relief goes to the decanter nearby and pours himself a glass of wine, he drinks it. Once he finishes then pours another glass, and places it in Cersei’s desk.

I guess that is a thing they have in common, making plots while drinking wine.

The two speak some more, and Tyrion notices that she did not touch her wine, and while talking about protecting those she cared about from the undead she touched her belly. “You’re pregnant!” Tyrion correctly guesses.

Somehow this realisation does the trick, because Tyrion returns to the Dragonpit, followed by his sister, who agrees to help fight against the Army of the Dead, without conditions.

At Winterfell, Sansa receives a message from Jon that he has pledged his allegiance to Daenerys. She is perplexed at the sudden decision and tells Lord Baelish about this. Littlefinger then correctly states that there might be a marriage-alliance brewing between Daenerys and Jon.

Sansa infers that even if she wanted to takeover, Arya will not go along with it. Littlefinger stokes her fear, and seems to manipulate her into fearing her sister.

A while later, which we assume is a day or two, Jon and Daenerys have returned back to Dragonstone. They hold a council with everyone and makes plans for the two of them to sail together.

After the meeting, Theon decides to speak with Jon at the throne room. He admits all of his mistakes and seems to take responsibility for his actions. Jon says it is not his place to forgive him for everything, but for those he can, he does forgive. He then tells Theon that he is a Greyjoy and also a Stark.

Theon then speaks of his sister that she tried to rescue him and she needs him now. Jon then looks at him and says, “Then why are you still talking to me?"

Theon then goes down to the beach to speak with the remaining ironborn. He tells them that he means to rescue Yara. One of them mocks him and beats him, but despite falling down several times, he keeps standing up, and he finally gets the upper hand.

The ironborn respects him for this, and he tells them that you are not doing this for me but for the sake of my sister. And they all agree and choose to follow his command.

Back at Winterfell, Sansa summons Arya to the great hall.

Behind the main table at the Great Hall are Sansa and Bran, and the room is filled with Northern guards and knights of the Vale.

Arya arrives escorted by two guards and she asks Sansa if she is ready to do this. She says she is, Sansa then turns to Lord Baelish and accuses him of treason and murder. She lays out all the charges, including the death of their aunt, Lysa Arryn, and the conspiracy against Ned Stark.

Lord Baelish says none of them saw what happened, because they weren’t there. But Bran answers back that he put a knife on Ned’s neck and told him, “I told you not to trust me."

Littlefinger pleads for his life and Sansa thanks him for his lessons. Arya slits his throat with one stroke using the Valyrian steel dagger Bran gave her.

Back at King’s Landing, Jaime is already giving orders to his commanders for their march to the North. Cersei sees this and tells the other lords that she needs to speak alone with her brother and they leave. Cersei admonishes Jaime, and tells him of her true plans. She has no plans to uphold her end of the bargain, she says that they will take back the lands they lost. She correctly guesses that something happened to the third dragon, since she only saw two at the Dragonpit.

She also reveals to her brother that she has hired the golden company, a mercenary army from Essos with the Tyrell gold, and that Euron did not sail away to the Iron Island but is in fact fetching this army from the other continent.

Jaime though argues that he gave his word, Cersei threatens to have him killed and Ser Gregor who is standing nearby unsheathes his sword. Jaime calls her bluff and tells her, “I don’t believe you." He is later seen leaving the capital on his own astride his horse as the first fall of winter snow arrives at King’s Landing.

Back at Winterfell, Samwell Tarly arrives with Gilly and little Sam. He goes to meet Bran in his chambers and they discuss an important matter. Bran reveals his abilities and tells Samwell of Jon’s true parentage, although he incorrectly states that he is still a bastard. But Sam tells him of the record that Gilly was able to read, that Rhaegar was annulled from Ellaria Martell and was later married to Lyanna Stark, and not kidnapped and raped as it was believed. Sam asks him to use his abilities to confirm this, and Bran looks back at a vision of Lyanna and Rhaegar’s marriage, and also at the moment of Jon’s birth.

He hears what Lyanna whispered to Ned on her deathbed and learns that Jon’s real name is Aegon Targaryen.

At the same time on the ship going North, Daenerys and Jon finally get intimate while Bran states that Jon is the true heir to the Iron Throne.

Later Sansa and Arya have a talk and cement their bonds as sisters, so all is well in Winterfell. But in the godswood Bran is seeing dark things transpiring at Eastwatch.

The Army of the Dead has finally arrived at the wall, much to the horror of Tormund and Ser Beric Dondarrion who are watching. Warning horns are sounded, and soon enough the frightening sight of undead Viserion being ridden by the Night King flies overhead.

The dragon shoots blue fire and proceeds to destroy the portion of the wall near the sea. The white walkers and the wights then move forward, finally stepping back to the lands south of the wall after 8,000 years since the Long Night.

With that the season ends, and our long wait begins. May the lord of light preserve us, because the upcoming two years is dark and full of terror.